Hunters Conservation Group Protesting Venison Sandwiches Being Served At Fast Food Chain

Arby’s recently began serving deer meat nationwide, and a hunting conservation group is objecting.

As Colorado Public Radio reports, the Montana Wildlife Federation, which was founded by hunters, anglers and other conservationists, sent a letter to Arby’s earlier this month asking the company to reconsider serving venison and elk steak sandwiches because of concerns that marketing meat from bison, elk and other wildlife could potentially lead to extinction of those species.

Arby's isn't sending hunters into the woods to kill thousands of elk and deer. That would be illegal. Instead, the fast-food company is sourcing their venison from game farms in New Zealand – red deer, which according to Arby’s President Rob Lynch is the same venison served at high-end restaurants across the U.S.

Lynch said he respects where the Montana Wildlife Federation is coming from.

And the company said many of their locations sold out on the first day the sandwiches were offered.

Join Luke this week for some hands on, step-by-step instructions in making pastrami and corned venison at home! Many people might be surprised to learn that making corned beef (or corned venison) has very much in common with making pastrami. Both tasty sandwiches cuts require curing the meat first. After curing, pastrami is seasoned and either baked or slow smoked. Corned beef or corned venison is slow simmered for a couple hours after curing. Luke goes into great detail this week in describing the process.

Cindee called me asking how to use up the frozen venison in her freezer. I had a solution she hadn't thought of. As a matter of fact, I made some BBQ venison in my smoker over the weekend, and here's how I cook it.

Deer season is well underway and I’m betting many of you have a freezer full of venison. What would you think is the most popular method of cooking venison? Maybe chicken fried steak? I’m betting the old standard fried backstrap or ham steak is very high on the list! I’ve enjoyed chicken fried venison since childhood and thought I’d share with you my method of preparing it.

This week on High Plains Outdoors, Luke Clayton goes on a whitetail hunt with Larry Weishuhn (Mr. Whitetail) and Steven Ray, inventor of Rattling Forks. The deer are in full rut right now and coming in to the horns.

The discovery of chronic wasting disease in Texas in June has sent nervous tremors through the state, reports The Texas Tribune. It’s the second instance of the disease in Texas, and it represents a potentially serious blow to the Lone Star State’s $2.2 billion hunting industry.

The last buck of the season brought a big surprise to this ole boy. I was set up in my ground blind, the last day of deer season, the last hours of the day, when movement caught my eye. And, there was a big ole tom bobcat. I thought he'd just look around, and then go on his way, but the rascal headed right for the door of my blind. He was about six feet away when I shut the door. There simply was not enough room for ole Luke and that cat in the blind.